Interview: Robin Sure of Just Jack

“It’s great to go to a party in a warehouse or in a dirty club,” says Just Jack’s Robin Sure, “but I think people are looking for something more immersive, more involving. We’re not the only people doing that but we’ve developed a standard of what we think a party should be like.” Over the last nine years, Just Jack’s become a byword for throwing everything you’ve got into a club night, with stunning lineups, beautifully designed environments and extravagantly dressed walkabout performers. 

“At the very beginning there were Tom Rio, Dan Wild and Rag Satguru”, explains Robin. “They were really into house music and there wasn’t a big scene in Bristol, so it was a case of creating somewhere to go with their mates.” They had a residency at Dojos before discovering “this little café in front of a warehouse by Temple Meads.” That’s how Motion began – “it’s always been a special place for Just Jack” – and Tom, Dan and Rag were part of the team that got the venue off the ground. “They lost a lot of money in the early days,” laughs Robin, who joined the team a few years later along with Jethro Binns. 

Since then Just Jack have launched a booking agency and a record label, and were named 2012’s club night of the year in DJ Magazine. What have been their best bookings? “One that stands out for me was when we had Steffi down at Factory Studios, which was just unreal,” says Robin. “She’s a great DJ, and Factory was designed to record bands, so it’s just built for sound. The crowd were brilliant that night.” Other highlights include Detroit pioneer Derrick May – “classic DJ, man…really good, and a nice guy”, and the recent Arnolfini show with DJ Koze and ItaloJohnson. 

Then there’s Mr G, whose Resonate EP dropped on Just Jack’s label in March. “Mr G is a massive highlight every time he plays”, Robin explains. “We wanted to get him on the label but never expected it to happen so fast.” The EP suggests they’re a match made in house heaven. “His tunes are very stripped back – using eight, ten, maybe twelve tracks tops”, says Robin. “I really like that style.” Mr G has been involved in UK house music from its very beginnings: “Maybe he’s getting a few more heads turned at the moment, but he’s just doing what he does – making really dope tunes.” 

This month Just Jack get together with Stamp the Wax for an outdoor party at Motion. The big names are Omar S, Marcellus Pittman and Octave One, but Robin sounds particularly hyped about Vancouver duo Pender Street Steppers: “They’ve been on our list for a long time. The whole Mood Hut collective…they’re really kicking it at the moment. It’s bit rough around the edges, a bit broken…but also a bit more musical than a lot of what’s around.” 

After that the Just Jack boys are at festivals from Somerset to Croatia, and they’re planning a series of “smaller and more regular” events to take place in the near future. Then there’s their annual Halloween blowout, followed by a 10th birthday to celebrate early in 2016. “I’m not sure how we’re going to top the last one”, says Robin, although it’s hard to shake the feeling that they will.  Are they worried that the house revival will run out of steam? “I think we’re probably coming to the end of a period when house music is extremely popular”, says Robin, “but a lot of that is different music from what we’re pushing. The underground will always be there.”

Just Jack & Stamp the Wax present Let’s Take This Outside at Motion on Saturday, June 6. Find info, radio, mixes and more at www.justjack.org 

Photograph by Khris Cowley for Here & Now